HBM FiberSensing

HBM FiberSensing - Bringing Light to Measurement

By integrating with the HBM Group as a business subsidiary which concentrates all optical business of the company, HBM FiberSensing added more than a decade of expertise in developing and producing advanced optical monitoring systems to over 60 years of experience in the area of test and measurement.

The Integration

Looking back it is interesting to see how far HBM FiberSensing has changed in roughly one year.

Successfully integrating into the parent company was a challenge, but, from the moment FiberSensing joined HBM, both companies started working at full speed towards the same direction. Several meetings were arranged to meet both customers and suppliers and talk about the new HBM FiberSensing company, its management and future plans which resulted in a positive reaction from the company network of contacts.

HBM was also very supportive with integration, providing capital to allow its business subsidiary to boost the investment in activities involving product development, sales management, human resources and brand awareness. It was a full year of trainings, international meetings, courses and events, which culminated in a successful combination of technical and commercial competencies in optical sensing spread throughout HBM branch offices worldwide.

The Result

With the acquisition and reorganization, HBM FiberSensing was able to extensively strengthen its business. By adding FiberSensing to HBM's brand, the Group has strengthened the company’s already existing positions in particular markets and has filled in a gap in wider markets that were in need of solutions for their applications where other technologies had failed. This aligns with the company’s strategy of better addressing the challenges facing its customers and offering the best solutions available for overcoming those challenges.

A newsworthy example is the installation of a complete sensing system in the Kaunertal Dam penstock pipes, in Innsbruck, Austria, between May and June 2015. HBM won the tender to provide and install a monitoring system to continuously monitor the strain on specific points of the internal contour of the recently built penstock water pipeline, within the scope of a structural loading test. To achieve this goal, an extensive fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing network was installed on the inner surface of the steel pipeline, which in some points operates at pressures close to 100 bar. By using FBG technology, HBM FiberSensing was able to deliver the most competitive solution when compared to the alternative proposals based on conventional technologies.

One year after the acquisition it is safe to say HBM FiberSensing has become a recognized brand in the optical business as customers across the globe keep coming back to the company for its monitoring solutions. This has been possible through a global positioning supported by HBM's worldwide market presence in over 80 countries and by a continuous effort in building customized monitoring solutions that resonate with customers' needs.

The Future

While the company outlines plans for further growth in many marketplaces and around the world, it will continue to invest in its brand, expand its supply platform and grow sales in a qualified way. The final goal - turn HBM FiberSensing into the world reference provider of advanced monitoring systems of optical products and OEM solutions for an infinite array of applications. And being part of the HBM family will definitely help HBM FiberSensing skyrocket to the top of the market in the years to come.